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‘We estimate that sufficient untreated sewage to fill over 3 Olympic swimming swimming pools has been discharged since Christmas and it’s placing individuals’s well being in danger.’
Right now, January 13, the environmental marketing campaign group Surfers Towards Sewage (SAS) is assembly in Brighton to name for a right away finish to the dumping of sewage on the city’s fashionable Southwick swimming spot.
The protest comes after it was found that, since Christmas, Southern Water has dumped untreated wastewater for round 200 hours.
“We estimate that sufficient untreated sewage to fill over three Olympic swimming swimming pools has been discharged since Christmas and it’s placing individuals’s well being in danger. But there have been no warnings posted by Adur Council, Southern Water or the Atmosphere Company,” stated SAS.
The campaigners are calling on Southern Water to finish sewage dumping instantly, and for Adur District Council and the Atmosphere Company to put up warnings for swimmers to ‘bathe at personal threat.’ SAS can also be urging for the Atmosphere Company to disclose if it has been knowledgeable that the wastewater infrastructure is defective – which is a requirement of the Environmental Allow – and what enforcement motion it’s taking. Moreover, the campaigners are calling on Adur District Council to instantly begin the appliance course of to make Kingston Seashore an official designated bathing seaside.
In 2022, figures confirmed that Southern Water dumped sewage into waterways a ‘staggering’ 16,000 occasions. The water firm admitted that, regardless of figures for sewage overflows lowering, it nonetheless “isn’t ok.”
On the time, Liberal Democrat candidate for Lewes, James MacCleary, stated: The figures are a damning verdict on the federal government’s failure to cease Southern Water from dumping sewage into our waterways.
“Native individuals are livid that our favorite swimming locations and valuable wildlife habitats have turn into poisoned with uncooked sewage. The Conservative authorities simply doesn’t appear to care. I believe it’s time the Atmosphere Secretary resigned and was changed with any person who truly cares about our rivers and seas.”
In November 2023, Southern Water was beneath hearth once more after it was revealed the corporate’s executives obtained almost £600,000 in payouts in 2022. Evaluation of Firm Home data reveals the corporate paid £587,000 in complete earnings to its 4 executives throughout the monetary 12 months 2022/2023.
In July 2023, Southern Water’s chief government and chief monetary officer declined a bonus for the 12 months to March 2023, after calls from campaigners to not award bonuses till water high quality improved.
LFF contacted Southern Water for commentary on this weekend’s protest and the campaigners’ requires a right away finish to the dumping of sewage.
Tom Gallagher, Bathing Water Lead at Southern Water, stated: “We share our communities’ ardour for our native setting – myself and plenty of of my colleagues stay alongside our lovely shoreline and care deeply about defending and enhancing these essential areas.
“This is the reason we’re investing closely in our revolutionary Clear Rivers and Seas Activity Power to scale back storm overflows as rapidly as doable, and in our bold Turnaround Plan to ship enchancment in our efficiency throughout the board.
“Solely by way of shut working with companions like councils, regulators, the agricultural and industrial sectors, and environmental teams, we will ship the outcomes our clients and setting deserve.”
Gabrielle Pickard-Whitehead is a contributing editor to Left Foot Ahead
Picture credit score: Tamaphotography – Pixabay
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